The Sanity Multi-Efforts Forum (SMEF) has commended the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS) for banning cash collection, roadblocks, and highway extortion as part of its 2027 revenue drive, describing the policy as a “direct victory” for the group’s advocacy since 2017.
In a statement by its Convener, Ambassador Dan Olaitan Dada Prince, SMEF welcomed the KGIRS declaration to criminalise cash collection on roads, abolish the sale of revenue emblems and haulage fees on highways, and fully automate revenue collection across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
The policy was unveiled at a pre-budget engagement in Lokoja ahead of the 2027 fiscal year, where KGIRS Executive Chairman, Dr. Sule Salihu Enehe, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Internally Generated Revenue, Dr. Rahman Nasir Ichanyi, declared automated collection mandatory and non-negotiable, targeting N66.4 billion in internally generated revenue.
According to KGIRS, cash collection on roads is now a criminal offence under a tax law signed on December 31, 2025, making Kogi the fourth state to domesticate the legislation.
Mounting roadblocks for revenue has also been classified as economic sabotage, while haulage fees can now only be collected at designated loading points.
Dr. Enehe said the Service had deployed a real-time automated tracking system, explaining that taxpayers could now pay for an entire month in advance and that any cash diverted by agents would still show on the Service’s dashboard.
He added that Solution Network Consults emerged as the new revenue consultant following a competitive bidding process.
SMEF said the reform aligns with its constitutional mandate to fight extortion and promote transparent taxation, noting it has directed its 21 Local Government Coordinators to sensitise market leaders, drivers, and traders across Kogi’s major languages that cash payment on the road is now illegal.
The group urged residents to demand automated receipts and report violations through its Anti-Extortion and Anti-Multiple Taxation Reporting Portal.
The Forum also commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for sharing a percentage of legitimate revenue with transport unions rather than proscribing them entirely, and called for formal inclusion in ongoing MDA budget engagements for the 2027 revenue target.
SMEF warned that anyone who continues collecting cash, emblems, or haulage fees on highways would be treated as an economic saboteur and reported for prosecution.
Complaints can be submitted to the SMEF office nearest to residents, its National Secretariat in Lokoja, or via its hotlines and email.
